Ion controller



W. W. HICKS ION CONTROLLER Nov. 27, 1951 Filed Jan. 11, 1949 I20 V. AC.

120V. AC.

INVENTQR. WI/Z/Ls'm Wes/eg/V/cks A 7 Tog/v5 Y5 Patented Nov. 27, 1951 2,576,399 ION CONTRQLLER William Wesley Hicks, San Francisco, Calif., as-

signor to" Ionics, Inc., San Francisco, Calif., a. corporation of California Application January 11, 1949, Serial, No. 70, 277

This invention relates to a device for selectively discharging positive or negative ions to the atmosphere within an enclosed area such' as a dwelling or a room. Particularly this invention relates to low voltage no pressure ion generators, such as electric space heaters, which may be provided with means for selectively filtering out positive or negative ions, and which circulates those ions not filtered out throughout the desired 7 area.

The presence of ions in a given space may result not only from natural ionization processes but also from the introduction of ions produced by the action of electric fields or by thermionic emission or in other ways. Of the foregoing I am interested particularly in thermionic emission and natural ionization processes.

I have observed that an ion filter is eifective in controlling ions. Positive or negative ions can be discharged and eliminated by collecting them on a metal grid which has an electrical charge sufiicient to attract the ion of opposite polarity.

I have found that a conventional electric air or space heater such as is disclosed in United States Letters Patent No; 1,704,479 produces electrons or ions by thermionic emission in sufiicient quantity to be measured and in sufficient quantity to. be of value as will presently be described.

Natural ionization processes may be best described as follows: Forces which tend to form these ions in the atmosphere are varied in their nature. A small number may be formed by the photoelectric effect, some ionization is produced by cosmic radiation, but probably the largest single factor in producing ions is the radioactive matter present in the soil. While the quantity of radioactive matter is small it is very widely distributed and so produces ions near th surface of the earth and in the .pores of the soil from which it is withdrawn by the so-called respiration of the soil.

Therefore in a given atmosphere within a closed chamber, such as. a room, there will exist in a free state a number of ionsof both signs, although in all probability the positive will outnumber the negative. If, in the given room, there is also a heated metal surface such'as previously referred to herein, there will be a further increase in the number of ions in the atmosphere therein.

Given this condition, I have considered the effects of these ions upon a person in the room. I have found, for example, that negative ions in most cases, produce a feeling of exhilaration while positive ions produce theopposite efiec't, it

6 Claims. (01. 250-86) or the same, is a hollow being appreciated, of course, that some exceptions to the foregoing exist, depending upon the individual being tested. It has been found for example, that positive ions increase the rate of respiration, while a preponderance of negative ions causes patients to breathe more quietly. Specifically ionized air has been found to have beneficial therapeutic effects upon persons suffering from high blood pressure, rheumatism, gout, neuritis and neuralgia, acute and chronic bronchitis, cardial and bronchial asthma and heart; and arterial diseases.

5 Therefore, in addition to the common ventilating problems of properly heating, cleaning and humidifying the air, there has been added the problem of providing proper ion concentration, either positive or negative. The problem which I have overcome, after ascertaining the biological efl'ects of various concentrations of positive or negative ions in the room atmosphere, has been to devise simple and inexpensive means of prod'uci'ng ions and changing the proportion of positive andnegative ions in a given room.

1 It is an object of this invention to provide an ion controllersilitable for use in connection with an atmospheric electric air heater or other low voltage no pressure thermal means for producing ions at atmospheric pressure and for changing the proportion of positive and negative ions in a given chamber.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a conventional electric heater incorporating my invention; and

' Figure 2 illustrates a modification of the device shown in Figure 1.

As shown in Figure 1 I have provided a suitable low voltage no pressure ion generator in the form of an electric heater such as is disclosed and described in the United States Letters Patent No. 1,704,479. An electric heater of this type is particularly advantageous inasmuch as the same, in addition to providing a heating medium, will also cause circulation of the air within a closed chamber or room. As shown in the drawing the particular form of airheater disclosed is provided with a housing 10 which may be constructed of sheet metal or other suitable material and forms a support for the remainder of the device. Arranged within the housing 10 and supported from the inner walls ceramic core II, which is preferably tubular in shape to provide a centrail-flue H; the outer surface of whichis adapted previously described.

to accommodate a resistance or heating element l3. The heating element l3 is connected to a suitable source of electric current as shown. A thermostat l4 may be placed in the circuit and is adapted to be actuated by the air entering the heater to open or close the circuit supplying electric current to the heater. A suitable switch I6 for the'operation of the. heater may'als'o be provided. w

The heater described offers heated surfaces H and [3 for the thermionic emission of ions. In addition, by virtue of its construction, it also circulates the air within the room, which air, it will be recalled, also containsiions; vIn this manner this heater is adapteditotsupply.both

4 housing 22 which, as shown, consists of a duct or tube, at one end of which I have provided a fan or blower 23 and at the other or discharge end of which I have provided a grid 24.

The filament 2| is preferably made of platinum. It will be observed that this filament, while acting as a thermionic emitter, does not produce the quantity of heat produced by thedevice illus- .it produce substantially thesame quantity of positive and negative ions and to cause circulation of those and others throughout-a room.

. the .air.

In order to regulate the circulation of ions through the room, as either positive ornegative. ions, I have provided a'suitable means for selectively filtering out either positiveor negative, ions produced by the thermionicemitting surfaces H and I3 and residing in the air circulated through the heater. As shown, this-means co nsists of a element [3, it beingimportant only that the same must be susceptible of selection, that is, that either a negative or positivechargemust be availableto an operator for application to the grid l1.

If the grid I7 is negatively charged it will attract positive ions, yet permit negative ions to, pass therethrough in the air stream. Contrariwise, if the grid, I1 is positively charged itwill attract the negative ions and remove them from the air streampermitting the positive ions to circulate in the room. In this manner the signv of the ions circulating within the room may be controlled with the resultant therapeutic effects The quantity of ions of'a given sign produced and circulated by the device described herein is a function of the heat of the ion emitting surfaces, the volume and velocity of the air passed thereover, the charge applied to the grid, and the distance .of the grid from the emitting surface.

culated has been approximately 5 cubic feet per minute at about 200 feet per minute velocity.

Ions of one sign have been filtered out of the air stream and ions of the opposite sign have been circulated throughout the room with beneficial therapeutic effects. a Y a I I In the modification asshown in Figure 2 -,I have inserted in place of the conventional electric heater illustrated,v a filament 1!, which acts as, a thermionic, emitter. The filament may be sedge ,s nrerii a wmaimera a .a

Satisfactory results have been obtained under :5

ions.

It will be recalled that because of its construction, the device illustrated in Figure 1 also acted to circulate. throughout the room the ions produced by the resistance element and the ions in Because of the fact that the device snewflm'r'igurez does not produce the same quantityT-of heat, it is necessary that it be provided with a fan which will provide forced circulation-through the member 22 and over the filament 2| thereby forcing the ions carried by the air through the grid 24 which is charged in the same manner as the grid I! previously described. j

In all other respects the device shown'in; Figure 2 operates in the same manner as the device illustrated in Figure 1, the principal difference being that the thermionic emitter illustrated in Figure 1, because of' its construction, acts as a circulating. member whereas the filament 2| shown in Figure. 2 does not, The addition of the fan 23 provides the circulation required. M

Iclaim: I w l. Inga device for controlling the ion concentration in a room i n atmosphericair at atmospheric pressure, means for producing-ions of both signs in a predetermined zone in atmosphere, charged grid means for selectively collecting at atmospheric pressure ions of the sign opposite to-the sign of the grid, and means for passing a stream of air first through said zone and then through, said grid to carry a substantial number of said ions to said grid, whereby the ions of the same sign as the grid will be, carried therethrough and the ions of the signopposite to the sign of the grid will be collected by said grid, said grid being positioned to extend=across the path of air moving in said stream.

2'. In 'a device for controlling the ion concentration in a room in atmospheric air at atmospheric pressure, thermal meansv for producing ions. of both signs a predetermined zone "in atmosphere, charged grid means for selectively collecting-i at atmospheric pressure ions of the 'sign opposite tothe sign of the grid, and means for'passing a stream of air first through said zone and then through's'aid grid to carry a substantial number of said ions to said grid, whereby'the ions of the-same sign as the grid will be carried therethrough and the ions of the sign opposite to the sign of the grid will be collected by said grid, said grid being positioned to extend across the path of air movingin said stream.

3. In a device for controlling the ion concentrationin a room in atmospheric air atatmospheric pressure, means forproducing ions of both signs in a predetermined zone in "atmosphere, charged grid means surrounding said means for producing ions for selectively. collecting at atmospheric pressure ions of the signopposite tothe sign of the grid, and means for passinga stream ,ofair; first through said zone. and then through ..er i ;tQ-. car y a ubstan ial. numb r. orsaid ions to said grid, whereby the ions of the same sign as the grid will be carried therethrough and the ions of the sign opposite to the sign of the grid will be collected by said grid, said grid being positioned to extend across the path of air moving in said stream.

4. In a device for controlling the ion concentration in a room in atmospheric air at atmospheric pressure, thermal means comprising an electric resistance element for producing ions of both signs in a predetermined zone in atmosphere, charged grid means surrounding said means for producing ions for selectively collecting at atmospheric pressure ions of the sign opposite to the sign of the grid, and means for passing a stream of air first through said zone and then through said grid to carry a substantial number of said ions to said grid, whereby the ions of the same sign as the grid will be carried therethrough and the ions of the sign opposite to the sign of the grid will be collected by said grid, said grid being positioned to extend across the path of air moving in said stream.

5. In a device for controlling the negative ion concentration in a room in atmospheric air at atmospheric pressure, thermionic means comprising an electric resistance element for producing ions of both signs in a predetermined zone adjacent said thermionic means, a negatively charged grid surrounding said thermionic means and lying beyond said zone for selectively collecting positive ions, said thermionic means and said grid defining an electrostatic field, and

6 means for passing a stream of air first through said zone and said field and then through said grid whereby the ions formed in said zone will be carried to said grid, and the negative ions will be carried therethrough and the positive ions will be collected thereby.

6. A method of controlling the ion concentration in a room at atmospheric pressure and in atmospheric air, comprising the steps of producing ions of both signs from the same source in a predetermined zone, inducing a current of air through said zone to carry the ions so produced through a second zone, and establishing an electrostatic field having one terminus in said second zone whereby ions of one sign will be collected in said second zone and ions of the other sign will be carried therethrough.

WILLIAM WESLEY HICKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,914,888 Cottrell June 20, 1933 1,996,557 Thomson Apr. 2, 1935 2,111,649 Thomas Mar. 22, 1938 2,264,495 Wilner Dec. 2, 1941 OTHER REFERENCES LOnde Electrique," published in Paris, 40 Rue de Seine, October 1946, pp. 371-373. 

